Why We Do What We Do
by TerryJ
Summary: Dr. Weir tells Jack he is owed a "Great debt of gratitude" little does she know that members of the SGC already handled that in their own way.


_I don't own anything._

_I have a good friend who often says, we don't ever say thank you enough when we should._

_  
This takes place sometime at the end of New Order._

* * *

Colonel Jack O'Neill sat alone in the commissary, staring at the blank page in front of him.

He was supposed to be writing his post-mission report but he wasn't sure where to begin. He flipped the page in the folder and sighed. He was going to need more paper.

He knew that once he started writing that this report was going to go on forever; it felt like three missions he had to cover.

First the trip to retrieve the damn head sucky thing which ended with him head sucked and all the sg teams scrambling for the gate while under fire.

_-That would probably be a good page and a half._

Next the whole debacle of flying half way across the galaxy and back while he slowly succumbed to whatever was unfolding in his brain. Bits of the trip were still hazy but he was remembering more and more as time went on. He took a moment and concentrated on what actually happened in Antarctica. That part was still the most difficult for his mind to grasp, but he knew how it ended. He grimaced as he thought about how much he hated that damn continent; every time he was there he ended up almost dying and the ensuing paperwork always threatened finish the job. This time he was certain would be no different.

_-At least 5 pages for that whole debacle._

Then the replicators and Thor and Fifth and Carter...that was a different mission and report for the rest of SG-1 but he had never come back to the SGC in between so it was all the same for him.

_-Another 2 and a half pages_.

Almost 10 pages.

Crap.

Jack smacked his head down on the table in front of him and took a deep breath. "Okay," He thought, "Some cake to keep me going and then I'll go see if I can steal Danny's computer to type this up on..."

He was about to get up to claim his cake when he saw Dr. Mackenzie approaching him.

Double crap.

He hadn't scheduled his psych eval yet. This day was getting better and better. Maybe if he asked nicely Thor could put him back in the stasis pod and he could just sleep away all of this stuff between him and getting this whole ordeal put behind him.

"Colonel O'Neill."

Jack didn't look up and instead shuffled through the folder in front of him, hoping to appear busy and disinterested.

"Mackenzie, look I know why you're here. I promise that I acknowledge that the whole almost dying thing was a big deal in my life and that I'm aware that my friends are here to support me and that everything will be normal again I just need to give it time." Jack recited the standard lines he knew psychologists loved to hear after "traumatic" event.

"Frankly I wouldn't be too concerned about me if I were you, the whole thing has a kind of been there, done that feel and it really hasn't bothered me much and I just want to go back in the field. So if you want me to schedule an appointment to waste both your and my time than fine but really I don't think it should be necessary."

When Mackenzie stayed silent Jack looked up from the table to see the man looking at him with the barest hint of smile on his face.

"What?" Jack asked.

Mackenzie shook his head, "Sure Colonel, what ever you want, but I didn't come here for that."

Jack raised his eyebrows, "Oh?"

Mackenzie took a step closer and handed Jack a picture. Jack took it and saw it held a picture of a young woman and a newborn cradled in her arms.

He looked up at they psycologist, eyebrows creased in confusion.

"The day of the fight in Antarctica, when you killed Anubis, my daughter gave birth to my first grandson. Because of you he has a chance at life. I just wanted to say thank you. I'm sure you don't hear it enough and you certainly deserve it."

Mackenzie smiled at the Colonel's open-mouthed, dumbfounded stare, turned heal and walked away. Jack's eyes fell back to the picture when he noticed Siler walking by.

"Did you see that Siler? Some one should go check to make sure the Doctor hasn't been dipping into the crazy pills!" Jack joked.

Siler smiled and took out his wallet. The Colonel stood up and smiled broadly,

"Did I win a bet?"

Siler shook his head and pulled a picture out of the wallet handing it to Jack.

"That's my niece. I take her flying in my prop plane and we build model cars together. Every time the planet is in danger I think of her. Thank you for what you've done." The Sergeant snapped a sloppy salute, smiled and left, leaving a stunned O'Neill holding the picture.

O'Neill saw Reynolds watching from across the room but before he had a chance to make a sarcastic comment to hide his discomfort he saw Reynolds pull out his own wallet.

"You too?" Jack griped. "Did someone put you up to this?"

"Nope Jack." The Lt. Colonel smiled, "This is my wife, Stephanie. I love her more than anything. Thank you."

As Jack wordlessly watched the tough marine walk away, he noticed the various other members of the base who had been eating in the commissary, standing and reaching into their own pockets.

Robert Rothman approached him. "This is my Dad. He has always believed in me and is amazingly tolerant when I tell him I can't share what I'm working on. Thank you Colonel."

Lt. Elliot was next, "My little sister. She's starting college this semester. She's been excited about it for months. Thank you."

Colonel Edwards, "My neighborhood. We're really close and they're all good people- take care of my place and my dog when I'm away. Thank you."

O'Neill stood where he was, accepting each photo wordlessly, looking from the serious men and women passing it to him to the smiling people in each image. He said nothing, instead stood in slack jawed shock.

Word spread like rapid fire through the base. A line began to form and the people, photos, stories and thanks kept coming.

Lt. Loeder, Technician Alberts, Bill Lee, Major Pierce, Simmons, Johnson, Tyler, Casey, Morrison, Lawrence, the Chefs and the Nurses, SF's and scientists.

"My fiance." "My Gramps." This kid down the street." "My husband." "My kids." "My ex." "My brother." "My sister." "My girlfriend." "My mom."

Even Walter Harriman stepped up, "Sir, this is my family. They all never approved of me joining the air force and I haven't been home much since. I'm going back next week for my Dad's 70th birthday. Thank you."

Paul Davis wasn't far behind with a picture of his niece and nephew.

When it seemed like he had seen almost everyone on base and even some who weren't regularly around, O'Neill was finding it difficult to keep his composure and his breathing was short and staggered.

There was a pause in the impromptu procession he looked up to see Daniel who was smiling sadly.

"Daniel..."Jack drew in a sharp breath when his friend stretched out his arm revealing that he had two pictures. "These are my friends Sarah and Cassie. They've already suffered enough because of this enemy. I'm glad they didn't have to suffer any more. Thank you Jack."

Daniel stepped aside to reveal Major Sam Carter behind him.

"Carter, what's going on?" Jack whispered. He figured that Daniel would be drawn to this emotional train wreck but that Sam would be too rational and would help make everything sensical again.

But she didn't answer his question.

"This is my brother, his wife and their kids. I love them dearly and to me they represent the innocence and simple happiness that does exist on this planet. I'm glad they get to keep that. Thank you. Sir."

That did it. Despite his resolution he could feel the warmth of small tears brimming in his eyes, it was almost too blurry for him to see the faces and the Carter-like blue eyes and smiles on the children in the picture.

Jack moved his mouth in an effort to speak but no words came out.

"O'Neill."

Jack looked up to see Teal'c standing there, brandishing a picture that was larger than most of the wallet sized and 3x5 images that had gathered on the table in front of him.

"This is a picture of my second family. They took me in and trusted me although they had no reason to. They are kindred to me, a few I consider my brothers. I care deeply about their well being. Some are no longer with us but no one was lost to Anubis on that day or since. Thank you."

Jack looked down at the picture and recognized it immediately as from when he hosted a 4th of July BBQ for the SGC at his place. Most of the base was there and could be seen in the picture, smiling, eating hot dogs and waving at the camera. In the center of the picture posed SG-1 plus Janet and Cassie with General Hammond. Cassie was giving Carter a ketchup and mustard smeared kiss on the cheek, Jack was grinning madly, giving Daniel "bunny ears" and Teal'c had a subtle smile, giving the same "bunny ears" to Jack.

The Colonel fell into his chair, staring at all the faces smiling back at him in all of the pictures.

They often spoke about protecting the innocent people on the planet, but dealing with Washington and the NID sometimes made it difficult to be less than cynical about the population of the planet. But seeing all of these people's faces, happy and care free, almost none of them knowing about the Stargate, suddenly made the magnitude and the weight of what they did every day seem so much more.

Saving the world wasn't just joke that Teal'c kept count of, it meant lives, these people's lives. The children and parents and siblings and aunts and uncles and lovers. All of these people were able to keep living their lives because of what choices the people in this mountain made...because of the choices that he made. It was a hefty realization.

Jack suddenly was finding it difficult to breath and his mouth felt dry. He looked around the room at the crowd that had gathered. He felt like he should say something, but he didn't know how to express what he was feeling.

He didn't know how to tell these people that they were all instrumental in protecting these people, that he didn't deserve any more praise than each person in the room. Instead he settled on quoting Mackenzie from earlier in the day, finding it easier to use someone else's words than to form his own.

"Thank you." He croaked out, "Really, Thank you. I'm certain than none of you hear it enough, but you ALL certainly deserve it."

* * *

Early the next morning Dr. Weir sent Sgt Harriman to go find Colonel O'Neill. Walter wasn't sure if O'Neill would be on base this early in the morning, but if he was, the Sergeant knew where the senior officer would be.

As Walter neared the commissary he saw O'Neill walking down the hall, whistling and carrying a drill.

Deciding he had seen stranger things, Harriman decided not to ask about the power tool. Instead he just informed O'Neill that he was wanted in Weir's office and then continued to the commissary to get a glass of orange juice for himself.

When he entered the room he realized what O'Neill had been doing with the drill and smiled broadly.

On the wall was a new, large bulletin board that had not been there before. All of the photos which had been given to the Colonel yesterday were carefully arranged in a collage in the center, Teal'c's picture in the middle.

The collage was covered by a protective sheet of plexi glass, leaving plenty of space around it for new additions to be tacked. At the top of the board was a single sentence, written in the round stenciled letters that teacher's use;

"WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO"

Walter took a moment to look at the pictures and take in what all the faces meant. When he left the room and began walking back toward the gate room he strode with newfound purpose in his step.


End file.
